Buddhism
1 • 2 • 3 • 4 • 5 • 6 • 7 • 8 • 9 • 10 << Previous • Next >>
3.
Examining Buddhism
1. What are its key dogmas?
2. Other Buddhist cults / sects.
3. How does it contradict Christianity?
Influenced by Hinduism in India. Buddha was an “enlightened” man named Gautama Siddhartha who lived in India around 500bc. He was a son of a rich ruler and was sheltered from seeing or experiencing suffering. He ventured out into the world and saw suffering. He decided to commit his life to learn how to do away with suffering.
The main philosophy is to not become attached to anything so you won’t have to suffer.
There is no self, so there is no suffering.
The goal of life is to remove yourself from suffering through detachment and to achieve Nirvana, or the perfect state of nothingness (to be blown out like a flame) through following the 4 noble truths and the 8 fold path. This can only be achieved through great mental and physical discipline. Buddhism is basically atheistic or at best agnostic; it is NOT a search for God.
Other oriental philosophies:
Taoism was taught by Lao Tzu. Taoism, or the “Way” was a return to nature, a becoming one with the inner way of the universe and experiencing peace and contentment. In Chinese dualistic philosophy, out of the chaos in the universe came Yang, it represents everything about the world that is illuminated, evident, active, aggressive, controlling, hot, hard, and masculine, Yin, the opposite, represents everything about the world that is dark, hidden, passive, receptive, yielding, cool, soft, and feminine. Counterparts and conflicting opposites, they complemented each other in the formation of a creative force whose products were heaven and earth with its fruits. Its symbol, is a circle divided into 2 embryonic shapes, one black, and the other white... whose significance is life and the ordering of life, universal power, and the mysterious duality which lies in the soul of men, to achieve perfect harmony.
Zen Buddhism. The goal of Zen is to reach Satori, enlightenment, or salvation, or the real self, which may come in an instant through a poem, a philosophical question (koan), or conceptualization of a simple idea (the sound of one hand clapping). Satori must be realized only in direct personal experience. After death there is no Heaven nor any reward. There is no God in Zen, only a new painful reincarnations, or what is called, "Nirvana", nothingness after death, the lost of all personality, as a drop of water in the Ocean
Confucianism was taught by Confucius. Confucianism
is actually a philosophy of life, not a Religion... like Buddhism.
Founded in China by Kung-futze, "master Kung", known as Confucius
(551-479 AC). Man can become great through the development of certain principles
and virtues. It is not a "theistic" system, but humanistic.
Buddhist Scriptures: Dharmapada, Tao Te Ching, I Ching.
How does Buddhism differ from Christianity?
1. Christianity is a search for God, not a search for self, or the negation of self.
2. Human being are made in the Image of God, therefore their true self can only be found in Him.
3. Christianity embraces and identifies with the suffering of Christ, not a detachment from it. We believe in "redemptive suffering."
4. We do not cease to exist as persons, but live eternally with God in glorified bodies.
Other Links of Interest
Encyclopedia of Religions-Cults
For a list of heresies through the centuries click here: heresies heresies
For a list of cults click on the following:
Alphabetical List of Cults and Religions